We will continue to update this page as new information is provided.

We welcome you to send words of encouragement to your sponsored student, a family or abuela via our email (manosamigaskc@gmail.com) and we will route the message to right person via WhatsApp messenger or printed letter in their next food distribution.

Sept 2021: For 17 months and over $45,000 in donations from donors like you and Border Servants Corp grant, we provided extra food and cleaning supplies to 52 families in need. Families who were short wages due to factory closures, who lost loved ones to COVID-19, who had to navigate virtual learning with no internet and more.

Adults are now eligible for COVID vaccines and the supply has been stable. Many of the factories are providing the vaccine or paying for workers to go and get it. The families who were struggling with shut-downs are now back to work again. The Anapra Core Team has assessed that the emergency food despensas from the last 17 months are no longer needed. This extra help was life-saving for many families and they continue to express their thanks to Manos Amigas. Thank you!

Nov 2020: Food distributions were provided. Mexico has a curfew at 7pm – 6am unless traveling for work or medical needs. COVID-19 cases are very high in Mexico and in Anapra. Getting into a hospital is very difficult and many are being turned away.

Sept 2020: Food distributions were provided.

Aug 2020: Food distributions were provided.

July 2020: Estela as recovered from COVID-19 and is doing well. Food distributions are continued.

Mon. June 1, 2020:
Factories in Juarez start to reopen. Many must return to work. El Paso Times provides a summary on conditions and economic loss of many factories.

Thurs. May 28, 2020:
Core member, Estela, in Anapra contracts COVID-19. She is on medication and is isolated in her home. Thankfully no hospitalization or ventilator is needed.

Monthly beans and rice dispensa will continue for June, but an additional food basket will have to wait until Estela is well to continue.

Sat May 9, 2020:
Food basket dispensas were handed out at the mission house. Each basket contained the standard monthly beans and rice portion as well as sugar, salt flour, lard, cooking oil, pasta, tomato sauce, tuna, corn coffee, cereal, milk cheese, eggs, dry red chile and cleaning supplies (liquid soap, bar soap, laundry soap, Clorax, tissue paper).

Tue April 21, 2020:
Today Mexico entered ‘phase 3’. New restrictions will be taken now: to be out in street, public transportation, in super markets, etc. you must wear mouth cover. Transportation buses can only have one person per seat and will end at 8 p.m daily. For cars driving, there is a two person limit. The border will stay closed for an additional 30 days. Alcohol and beer is only sold till 6 p.m. to dissuade reunions and home parties.

Wed April 15, 2020:
Many maquiladoras (factories) have positive COVID19 workers that are home sick, hospitalized or unfortunately have passed away. These factories have been closed. Some Anapra community members have been exposed, but so far none are showing symptoms.
Many families are currently going without work and without paychecks.

The library has reopened on a limited basis. Families will have a scheduled time to go to the library and choose books. Gloves will be provided and books sanitized when they are returned. Only 1 family at a time in the library.

Saturday, April 11, 2020:
April’s beans and rice distribution was handed out to sponsored families at the mission house. Everyone took turns and minded the 6ft social distancing. No one was allowed to stay and socialize.

After much consideration, we have decided to cancel our annual Children’s Day (end of April) and Mother’s Day (first of May) celebrations to protect the health and safety of the Anapra community. The crafts and gifts already purchased for these events will be packaged and given to families to help brighten their day in these uncertain times.

The border closure has also made preparing for VBS (July) nearly impossible at this time. Unfortunately, this means we are cancelling VBS this year as well. All current supplies donations and curriculum will be used next summer. Monetary donations have been moved to our Emergency Relief fund.

Manos Amigas continues to evaluate how we operate to ensure the safety of not only the community but of the Core Team in Anapra that coordinates all of these efforts. We are collecting information from each family to build a communication strategy to continue to provide support to the community while practicing social distancing and “stay at home” orders. 

Wed April 1, 2020:
School closure is extended to May 4. Students are still given assignments to complete at home and send completed work to teachers through WhatsApp, a messenger phone app. Some parents are having to borrow phones to send in homework if they do not have them.

Tuesday March 24, 2020:
All business in Juarez were closed and people who sell items from carts or tents were asked to leave. The government announced that only the essential business stay open.
This morning the lady we order beans and rice call and said she will close her business. We are working on alternative ways to provide food if this continues longer.

Each maquiladora (factory) is handling the situation differently. Some are continuing to work and checking temperatures prior to entering the building and having each shift enter and exit through different doors. Some are telling workers that companies will close at least for two weeks with the 50% of their pay. Others are saying one month closed with two weeks of 50%.

We continue to stay in touch with our supported families during this time.

Saturday March 21, 2020:
The Mexico/US border is closed to all non-essential travel. Only US residents and citizens are allowed to cross at this time.

The additional food distribution basket were given to 45 families today at the mission house. No one was allowed to stay and visit. All baskets were wrapped up ‘to-go’ style before families arrived. Each basket includes CDC information about the virus and good hand washing practices as well as a letter from MA with Core Members’ phone numbers for emergencies. Baskets for the elderly will be delivered tomorrow.

Wednesday March 18, 2020:
A prayer group from Lakeland church has donated additional fund for the beans and rice distributor to provide the following to 55 families right away: beans, rice, eggs, pasta, canned goods, sugar, flour, salt, cooking oil, coffee, soap and Clorox. As well as noodle soup for the elderly.
Anapra core team thinks this will last for about 1.5 to 2 weeks for most families if they are unable to go to work. As of now, most factories remain open though some have reduced the number of days of work.

To promote social distancing and ensure the safety of our Anapra family, Manos Amigas has suspended healthcare screenings until further notice. The library is also closed at this time.  We are evaluating how best to continue to provide food distribution and ensure the safety of the community.

Monday March 16, 2020:
Mexico will close schools nationwide from March 20 to April 20 in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus infections. The school closure period includes Semana Santa, or Holy Week, the busy Mexican vacation period falling on April 5-11 this year. During the break from school, students are asked to practice social distancing, physically avoiding other people, in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus, Mexican health officials said.

The library in Anapra has also closed at this time until further notice.

El Paso schools are closed until April 6th. Our sponsored students who attend classes in the US are impacted.

There have been a few factories that our families work at that have cut working days by 1-2 days thus far due to limited materials to run the factory.

MA core teams in KC and Anapra continue to monitor the situation and community needs.